What freezes, and what doesn't

Whether a sauce survives the freezer comes down to what holds it together. Tomato and stock bases come back unchanged; eggs, cream and emulsions can split. Here’s what to expect, and how the recipes get round it.

Freezes brilliantly

Tomato sauces, curry bases, gravies, stocks, stir-fry sauces, pastes and hot sauces. These come back exactly as they went in.

Freezes with a trick

Cream and cheese sauces are thickened with a flour roux so they don’t split. Pestos and herb sauces get a thin layer of oil on top, and the cheese goes in at serving. You can see both in Cheese Sauce, Creamy Mushroom and Basil Pesto.

Don’t freeze

Mayonnaise, hollandaise and vinaigrettes split when thawed. So do egg-based sauces like carbonara, and yoghurt sauces like raita and tzatziki.

Garlic in oil

Garlic or herbs kept in oil at room temperature can grow harmful bacteria. Keep these cubes frozen, and use any thawed ones within 2 days, kept in the fridge.

If it separates

Fat can rise to the top as a sauce thaws. Whisk it over a low heat and it comes back together. Cornflour sauces may thin a little; simmer for a minute.

Season boldly

Freezing dulls salt, acid and spice slightly, so taste before freezing and season a little more than you would for eating straight away.

Thawing safely

Thaw in the fridge, never on the worktop, and use thawed cubes within 2 days (vinegary hot sauces keep 2 weeks). Drop cubes straight into a hot pan whenever the recipe allows.

Label everything

Red cubes all look alike once frozen. Write the sauce and the date on every bag.

For every sauce’s freezer life, and whether it can go straight into the pan, see the Cube cheat sheet.